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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Herbed Millet & Pecan Loaf

Every
once in a while even a seasoned cook has a failure in the kitchen. When that
happens to me, I am left wondering what went wrong, especially when following a
recipe. Did I read the directions wrong? Was there some important detail left
out of the recipe directions? Were my ingredients not an exact match to those
listed? My recent experience with the "Herbed Millet & Pecan
Loaf" (page 281) was one of those occurrences. The failure, or "what
went wrong", was that the loaf didn’t hold together, with the exception of
the two pieces sliced off of each end. Why it didn't hold together, I haven't
figured out. My best guess is it might have been undercooked a tad. This recipe
required some work, so it was especially disappointing when it sort of
dissolved under the knife blade. Intended to be a vegan substitute for
meatloaf, I was stumped when I ended up with something that resembled crumbles.
What in the world was I going to do with this? My first impulse, after
salvaging the two end pieces, was to just throw it all away and chalk it up to
one of those disappointing kitchen experiments. But it tasted so good…and it
took so much work…how could I just toss that all away? Instead, I scooped it up
and set it aside in the refrigerator, waiting to see if any ideas would come to
me. And what do you know? I ended up using this concoction in a number of
delicious ways! I added a big scoop of the "Herbed Millet & Pecan Crumbles" to homemade gravy, and served that over mashed
potatoes one night, and over toast for breakfast the next morning; I added it
to cubed potatoes and made a breakfast hash; I made tacos, and used the
crumbles as a nutty filling. I liked this so much as a vegan ground beef substitute
I can see myself making this again for that reason alone! The ingredients in
this serendipitous loaf-turned-crumbles include cooked millet, sautéed veggies
(onion, celery, garlic, cloves), pecans, and fresh herbs (green onions,
parsley, and basil). I would love to hear from anyone else who has tried this delicious
loaf and the experience you had.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly"
checklist:

üOmit the oil when sautéing the veggies;
instead, use a nonstick skillet and/or water, broth, or sherry as a sauté
liquid.